164 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol.46. 



stated that his specimens agreed wholly with figures which had been 

 published by Faujas, of a skull which had been found in the Rhine 

 near Bonn. The horn-cores of this skull had, however, lost their 

 extremities. H. Bronn, author of the article on ''Ochsen",^ makes 

 this disposition of Schlotheim's name: "1, Bos taurus Lin. Y&v.fossilis 

 Cuv. {Bos urus 'priscus, v. Schloth.)," J. F. Brandt ^ seems to refer 

 Schlotheim's name to Bos primigenius. It seems probable, however, 

 that the complete horn-core in Schlotheim's hands resembled those 

 here figured, after v. Meyer (pi. 8, figs. 1, 2), or those of the skull 

 represented by Owen.^ It is very probable that the specimens men- 

 tioned by Schlotheim are yet in existence; and if so, and if Schlot- 

 heim's use of the name priscus for a fossil bison of Europe is the 

 earliest, one of the three specimens, preferably the most complete one, 

 ought to be selected as the type of Bison priscus, and it ought, fur- 

 ther, to be carefully figured and described. We would then have 

 for our building a fixed corner stone, even though it might not be 

 one tliat furnishes everything that could be desired. 



The first of the American species of extinct bison to be considered 

 is Bison antiquus Leidy. 



BISON ANTIQUUS Leidy. 



It is unfortunate that the types of so man}^ species of fossil animals 

 are very imperfect specimens. That of Bison antiquus consists of 

 only a portion of the right side of the skull bearing a part of the 

 horn-core. This fragment has likewise been eroded somewhat, so 

 that the exact dimensions and form can not be determined. This 

 results in somewhat different estimates.* The writer has attempted 

 here to restore in outline the missing part of the horn-core, so that 

 one may form a judgment regarding its shape (fig. 1). At a later 

 time Leidy referred to the same species a skull lacking all in front of 

 the orbits, but with complete horn-cores, which had been discovered 

 in California. This was figured by Leidy under the name Bison 

 latifrons} Rhoads ^ made this specimen the type of Bison californi- 

 cus. The writer' described and illustrated, under _the name B. 

 antiquus, a skull which is in Earlham College, Richmond, Indiana, 

 and which was discovered some years ago near Vincennes, Indiana. 

 The figures are here reprinted (figs. 2, 3). This skull difi'ers from 



1 Ersch und G ruber's Encyclopadie der Wissenschaften und Kiinste, sec. 3, 1836, p. 278. 



2 Verb. russ. mineral. Ges., ser. 2, vol. 2, p. 186. 

 > Brit. Foss. Mammals and Birds, p. 491. 



* Allen, American Bisons, p. 26; Lucas, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 21, 1890, p. 760; Hay, Geol. Surv. 

 Indiana, vol. 35, 1912, p. 650. 

 » Extinct Vert. Fauna, pi. 28, figs. 4, 5; Lucas, work previously cited, pis. 69, 70. 

 ' Proc. Acad. Nat. .Sci. Phila., 1897, p. 501. 

 ' Work previously cited, p. 650. figs. 50, 51. 



i 



